This invention relates to a latching mechanism which may be put to a number of different uses but which is disclosed herein as being primarily useful with vehicles wherein an operator cab is mounted over the engine and is tiltable from a first or lowered position through approximately 90.degree. to a second or raised position to expose and permit access to the engine when required.
In one form of this invention the latching mechanism includes a latching element affixed to one side of a member to be locked into position and a latching member receiving means affixed to a surface of a member to which it is to be secured. The latching element receiving means includes a cam-actuated detent arrangement whereby the detents will move radially from a first or unlocked position to a second or locked position in engagement with detent receiving means on the latching element to firmly secure the latching element and the member to which it is attached. There are many latching mechanisms in the prior art which employ a cam-actuated detent arrangement. U.S. Pat. No. 3,764,172 to Standke dated Oct. 29, 1971, and entitled LATCH ASSEMBLY, discloses a detent type arrangement in a latching mechanism. Also, there is a fair amount of activity in the prior art in the area of latching mechanisms for tilting cab vehicles. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,667,566 to Hopkins, dated June 6, 1972, entitled RELEASABLE CONNECTOR PARTICULARLY FOR TILT CAB VEHICLES. The latching mechanism of this invention constitutes an improvement over mechanisms such as those disclosed in the aforementioned patents.